Indicating means for switch machines



June 4, A LANGDON INDIGATING MEANS FOR SWITCH MACHINES Filed 001:. 30, 1950 gvaprgola BY M ha ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1935 I I I UNITED STATES PATENT oFF'lcE INDICATING MEANS FOR swrron MACHINES Andrew Langdon, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester, N. Y. 1 v

Application October 30, 1930, saw Nb. 492,28 3Claims. (01. 246-253) This invention relates to indicating circuits a normal and a reverse. position at the end ofv for railway switch mechanisms and more .pareach corresponding operating stroke. ticularly to a means for indicating the condition A circuit controller C is directly coupledrto of a switch by local energy over a polarized the switch TS so as, to operate 'in accordance circuit, withthe movement thereof and can be of any 5 When such machines are operated electrically suitable type,.such:fo r example as shown in the and controlled from a remote point, it is desirapplication of-O. S. Field,:Ser.,No.- 437,445, filed able to have at the control point a knowledge March 20, 1930., The type/of controller illusof the existing position of the switch points at trated includes four movable contact, fingers],

all times. In a conventional all electric switch 8, 9 and 10 which are engageable with stationary 10 operating arrangement, .the extreme position of contacts ll-IB and which are so adjusted that the switch points and the integrity or" the switch the contact arms] and 8 are shunted and likelocking is checked by the indicating means wise contact arms 9 and ID are shunted, at all through an incorporated point detector artimes except when the switch points are in rangement similar to the one shown in the pat: either of their extreme positions or a short dis- 15 ent to C. S. Bushnell No. 1,517,236, dated Notance, say one quarter, of an inch, therefrom. vember 25, 1924. 1 A local source of energy is provided by battery There are also certain types of switch. ma- B which energizes a threeposition relay WP, chines which do not include the above mentioned which operates contacts as shown, to control sigpoint detector arrangement and consequently nals or functions associated with the switchTS, 20 an indication of the position of the switch maand is controlled over a polarized circuit includchine contacts is not necessarily .indicative of mg the pole changer contacts and the switch the switch point position, because through some circuit controller contacts as is more fully de disruption of the switch operating connection scribed hereinafter. The source of energy can the position of the switch points may not corbe alternating current with a three position al- 25 respond to the condition of the switch machine. ternating current relay, but for convenience is 'With the above and other considerationsin shown to be direct current. mind, it is proposed in accordance with thisin- It is believed that the present invention can ven i n, to p v n indicating y m mploybe more readily understood by further descriping the usual switch machine pole changer contion being given to the particular circuit em- 0 tacts in combination with an auxiliary circuit ployed from the'standpoint of the. operation controller operated directly by the movement thereof.

of the switch points. Assuming that the track switch TS has been Other objects, purposes and. characteristic operated to its normal position, as shown, the

features of the invention will appear as the designal control relay WP is energized with a defi-' 35 scription thereof progresses, during which refnite polarity bty tle local battery B over the erence will be made to the accompanying drawfollowing circui eginning at the positive side ing, which illustrates diagrammatically the inof battery B, wires l9 and 20, contacts 2 shunted dicating circuit for a switch operating arrangeby block G, wires 21 and 22, contact l5, contact ment inaccordance with this inventions finger 9, WII'B 23, Wlndmg ay W ,-w1re 24, 40

Referring to the accompanying drawing, a seco a finger m, QQ Wires 25 d tion of a railroad track T is shown with a" track Contact 13, contagb finger 8, WM v Contact switch TS governing the movement of traific either finger m Wu'es 28, 29 and back in a straight ora diverging route.- The switch TS to neganverslde of battery is electrically operated by a switch machine SM, The slgnal 9 relay hke manner 5 which isindicated by a dotted rectangle in which g ggfif gfg g :2 g z i gg gig ip the the pole changer arrangement is shown, but other the shifting thhpole changer 5 5$; 1 2; Parts of the machme Whlch are clearly Shown the switch circuit controller contacts to their m the patent to Howe 1,466,903, daiied reverse or the indicated dotted position applies September 4, 19 23, and do not concern this disan opposite polarity of energy to the windings closure are omliftedpole changer of the relay WP over the following circuit:be-

resented by stationary pans of contacts I, 2, 3 ginning t t positive Side f battery B, wire and 4 which a e abl by the shuntin l9, contacts 4 shunted by block 6 in its dotted blocks 5 and 6 as shown. which are shifted to position, wires 34 and 3|, contact l8, contact 55 lock the switch in such finger III in its dotted position, wire 24, winding of relay WP, wire 23, contact finger 9 in its dotted position, contact l6, wires 26 and 33, contact l2, contact finger 1 in its dotted position, wire 21, contact finger 8 in its dotted position, contact l4, wires 32, 28, 29 and 30 back to the negative side of battery B.

In the event that an abnormal condition exists at the switch which prevents the movement of the switch points to their proper extreme position, the relay WP is shunted by the switch circuit controller C at contact fingersQ and H) which are adjusted, as previously described, to shunt through contacts l6 and I! which are connected by wire 25. The shunt, on the windings of relay WP is comparatively of low resistance which assures a deenergized or neutral position even in the event of. other energy being abnormally superimposed on the relay windings.

It is also evident from the drawing that the circuitfrom the switch machine pole changer is interrupted at contacts H, H, l5 and which prevents the shuntin'gof the battery B under the above conditions.

, If theswitch machine SM operates the switch TS to its proper extreme position, for example the reverse-position, andthereby properly operates the switch-circuit controller C to its reverseor indicated dotted position, but fails to a position, blocks 5 and 8 consequently do not shift and the relay WP is-shuntedas before over the following circuitz-Beginning at the winding of relay WP, wire 24, contact finger ID in its dotted position, contact 16, wire 3|, contacts I shunted by block 5, wires 28 and 32, contact I4, contact finger 8 in-its dotted position, wire 21, contact finger 1 in its dotted position, contact l2, wires 33 and 26,contact 18, contact finger 9 in its dotted position,wire 23, to the'oppositeside of the winding of the relay'WPJ The relay WP is likewise shunted when a condition-converse to the above exists, or namely when the track switchTS is operated to its proper normal position but the switch machine SM- fails to lock in the normal position. This is accomplished over a circuit which, because of its similarity to the one just traced, is readily evident from the drawing and will-not be described in detail. It is now'evident that the relay WP accurately repeats the condition of the switch TS and checksthe proper movement of the switch points as wellas the locking of the switch machine SM. In other words, the relay WP definitely responds to a polarity of energy which is in accordance with the switch position and at such times as the switch is not assuming a predetermined positionin respect to safety, and when the switch is not locked insu'ch a position, the relay is deprived of energy and as a shunted against a false operation by foreign energy. It is also evident that the integrity of this shunting circuit ischecked by the energizing' circuits for the relay'WP, as for example, the normal energizing circuit includes the .circ'uitwhereby the relay WP is shunted when the switch points are not in their proper extreme the shunting further precaution is position, and the reverse energizing circuit includes the circuit whereby the relay WP is shunted when the switch circuit controller and the pole changer are not in corresponding positions.

Having shown and described one specific embodirnent of the present invention, and having shown it as including a single circuit arrangement, it is desired to be understood that this circuit arrangement has been shown with the idea that it is merely typical of several circuit arrangements which may be employed all Without departing from the scope of the invention or the idea of means underlying the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a track switch, a switch machine arranged to power operate said track switch, pole changer contacts included in said switch machine and operated in accordance with the locked position. thereof, a switch circuit controller directly operated in accordance with the position of. said track, switch, a local source of energy at said track switch, a three'position polarized relay, a control circuit including said switch machine pole changer contacts and said switch circuit controller for distinctively operating said relay in accordance with the extreme position ofosaid switch and the locked position of said switch. machine, and means for shunting said relay when said switch circuit controller is not in either extreme position and also when. said extreme position does not correspond to the position of said switch machine pole changer contacts.

2. An indicating system including a track switch, operating mechanism for said track switch including pole changer contacts actuated by the locking movement thereof, a switch cir-, cuit controller operated directly by the movement of said track switch, an electrical indicating circuit controlled by said: pole changer contacts and said switch circuit control1er., said pole changer and said switch circuit controller cooperating to pole change said control circuit according to the extreme locked position of said track switch, and also cooperating to shunt said control circuit when not in either extreme position and also when said track switch position is out of correspondence with said pole changer position.-

3. In an indicating system including a track switch, operating mechanism for said track switch'including pole changer contacts for pole changing a complete circuit and actuated by the locking movement thereof, a track switch circuit controller operated directly by the movement of, and through the power of said track switch, three wires only interconnecting the pole changer contacts and the circuit controller, an electrical indicating circuit controlled by said pole changer contacts and said switch circuit controller, said pole changer and said switch circuit controller cooperating to pole change said control circuit according to the extreme locked position of said track switch.

ANDREW LAN GDON. 

